


The Sound of the Deep Ground

by Amledo



Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Thorin Lives, Alternate Universe-Everybody Lives, Alternate Universe-Nobody dies, Baby Frodo, Bilbo Is Awesome, Durincest, Dwarf Culture, Dwarf things, Fix-It, Gandalf is a sneaky bastard, M/M, Misunderstandings, My First Work in This Fandom, Post Battle of Five Armies, Post BoFA, Soulmates, Thilbo, Thorin Is an Idiot, Young Frodo Baggins, baby dwarves maybe, bagginshield, dwarves are secretive, inaudible speech, okay so i made it up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-07
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2017-12-10 15:29:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/787594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amledo/pseuds/Amledo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on the journey, Bilbo becomes increasingly annoyed that the Dwarves seem to ignore him or talk like he isn't there. What he doesn't know is that he shouldn't be able to hear them and that his strange attraction to Thorin has something to do with it. Contains Thilbo and Fili/Kili</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Bilbo Baggins was regretting that he had left his safe, warm, dry Hobbit hole for the umpteenth time that day. Past the sores he got from the saddle, the aching pit in his stomach, and the cold that bit into his skin, he hated the way the Dwarves spoke of him as though he were not around. They didn't do it all the time, no, they were typically much nicer to him than he had expected. Just once in a while, he would hear them begin to speak, and know that he was not appreciated. This was one such morning.

"I still do not trust the Hobbit," Thorin spoke, gruff as usual, his dark eyes trained on his eldest heir. Bilbo felt ire and resentment stir in his chest and pushed his pony a little closer so that they might see him and abort the conversation.

"You do not trust easily Uncle, but Bilbo is worthy," Fili responded, he glanced at Bilbo and spared him a smile. It warmed the Hobbit's heart and confused him all at once. Was he not supposed to acknowledge that he was being talked about so openly? Regardless of Fili defending him, shouldn't the other Dwarf point out that Bilbo was within earshot?

"He has yet to prove anything of the sort. For all you know of him he could be plotting to steal the Heart of the Mountain away and present it to those Elves that he seems so enamored with," Thorin spat, eyes cold. Fili cocked his head and frowned deeply. Before he could respond Kili leaned in and gripped his thigh, subtle warning in his eyes. The pair had always seemed strange to Bilbo, too close for brothers grown, and yet they were not strange to the other members of the party.

Instead of speaking, giving voice to his outrage, Bilbo allowed his pony to slow once again, his mind in other places. Fili and Kili dropped back as well, their hands joined across the distance once they were at the back of the group. They noticed Bilbo behind them, but seemed to ignore him at the same time, leaving the Hobbit to sit in confused silence once again.

"Uncle is weary brother, for now I think it best if we avoid speaking of the burglar to him," Kili said gently, thumb swiping across Fili's knuckles.

"It is not my fault that he cannot recognize his own feelings. He claims distrust when it is petty jealousy. If Bilbo were as taken with our Uncle as he is with Elves, there would be no question of trust," Fili said as he tugged Kili closer, their ponies not seeming to be bothered by the proximity.

"You…you believe that Bilbo…he is Uncle's…"

"I do. I have said as much to Gandalf and he agrees with me. Uncle's bullheaded ways will hurt us all in the end. Mother always said that those who do not learn to love will lose their hearts to gold. I fear that we will retake our home at the cost of our family," Fili confided and Bilbo felt his head spin. He wasn't sure what he had been hearing before, but now that he was, it terrified him. It didn't bother him that neither Fili nor Kili had acknowledged his presence for their conversation, he was beyond that. At that moment, he truly needed to speak to Gandalf.

Unfortunately the Wizard was nowhere to be found. Odd how he conveniently vanished when Bilbo felt that he was most needed.

That night, with Gandalf still not around, Bilbo decided to take matters into his own hands. If Thorin did not like him because he seemed too interested in Elves, then he would ask the questions that had been burning away at him since the Dwarves had taken over his home. After all, he had only avoided asking in the first place because Thorin had seemed so unapproachable.

"Yes Burglar?" Thorin asked almost as soon as Bilbo sat near him. The Hobbit swallowed and attempted to calm himself, otherwise Thorin's attitude would have sent him into another fluster. It was well enough that he had managed not to blush, what with the understanding of who he was to Thorin.

"I was hoping…maybe I am a fool for asking. But I was hoping that you might tell me some more of your history? Of the Lonely Mountain before Smaug," Bilbo whispered and watched Thorin's face shift from a mask of disapproval to one of soft contemplation. Part of him was relieved to see the Dwarf King's face go soft; it made the inexplicable attraction that Bilbo had felt for him a little more understandable. Hobbits were not like Dwarves, they did not love only once, and yet, Bilbo was left with the crushing sense that Thorin would always be the only one for him.

"Do you truly care to know?" Thorin asked, for once looking at Bilbo with kindness and something akin to friendship. Bilbo smiled brightly and nodded eagerly, feeling much like his childhood self. Only he wasn't sitting at the feet of his father or mother, he was sitting beside a Dwarf that had stolen his heart.

"I have wanted to ask for ages," Bilbo admitted and moved to sit closer to Thorin when he was invited.

The Dwarf Lord spoke quietly and softly for hours, telling Bilbo of anything that he cared to know. The world that he spoke of was one that Bilbo found he wouldn't mind calling home. He spoke so long that eventually Bilbo drifted to sleep beneath the arm that had tucked itself around him during the night. No one disturbed them until morning when Gandalf made his way back into their camp.

Bilbo blinked sleep from his eyes and snuggled closer to the warm chest that he was being held against. If Thorin was bothered by this, he said nothing, merely pressing Bilbo closer and drawing his cloak more firmly about the two of them to chase away the morning chill.

"For someone who claims not to trust the Hobbit, you are awfully comfortable with him Uncle," Kili said as they broke camp. Bilbo was still snuggled next to Thorin's side, the Dwarf Lord seemingly intent on remaining just where he was until his Hobbit companion was ready to move.

"I have altered my opinion of our Burglar. It is not your place to wonder about it," Thorin responded, though his voice was less harsh than it had been in days. Kili smiled crookedly and allowed Fili to catch him around the waist in a hug.

"So you admit that you like him. Bilbo is your Kili," Fili said, his face also split with a smile. Bilbo felt his hackles rise once again at being spoken of like he wasn't around, but was entirely disarmed when Kili placed a soft kiss on Fili's lips. Wait…that was what they had meant?

"He is still a Hobbit Fili, I cannot ask that of him," Thorin replied and Bilbo sat up, pulling away from the Dwarf Lord as he did so.

"Would you all just stop that? I am right here! I can hear you just fine! And I will have you know, Thorin Oakenshield, that you can ask anything of me that you please and I will gladly give it," Bilbo said fiercely, his arms crossed over his chest, defiance written on his features. The camp went abruptly silent.

"You…could hear us?" was all that Thorin managed to say at first, bemusement obvious on his face. Bilbo frowned; he wasn't going to be taken in by some joke.

"Of course I can hear you? Do you think me deaf?" Bilbo demanded, only to squeak when he was drawn into Thorin's arms and hugged tightly. He breathed in the scent of Thorin's skin and clothes and tried desperately to stay angry.

"You are a wonder of wonders Bilbo Baggins. Did you not realize that we were speaking differently? We spoke in voices meant only for our kin," Thorin said, practically tugging Bilbo into his lap as he spoke.

"What do you mean? I thought you were just…talking around me," Bilbo said, returning the hug at last and feeling his heart grow calm. There was nothing that he had wanted more than to be in Thorin's arms from the very moment he had seen the dark haired Dwarf.

"No Bilbo, you can hear the sounds of the Deep Ground, the voice that Dwarves use to speak to one another in their own halls. Neither Elves nor Men can hear us when we use it," Fili said, shock evident in his voice.

"This proves that he was meant for you Uncle," Kili added, his eyes shining brightly. Bilbo wasn't sure that he understood what was going on, but he certainly didn't mind the change of atmosphere.

"You said I could ask anything of you Bilbo Baggins," Thorin whispered and Bilbo nodded, "I ask your heart in trade for my own."

"You've had it since the moment you stepped through my front door," Bilbo said, smiling before Thorin kissed him solidly on the lips. It was like nothing that he had ever felt before, and he knew that it was because he and Thorin were connected.

If Gandalf smiled smugly and walked with an extra bounce in his step that day, no one said a word about it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the story, takes place post BoFA and everyone lives. Fluffy stuff and cuddles. Debate is open for continuing this story.

Thorin was hurt. Logically, Bilbo knew that he was going to survive his injuries; he had been well tended to by Elven healers. But Bilbo had never had a soul mate before. He had never had a husband before. Thorin was hurt and there was nothing that Bilbo could do save wait and let time do the healing.

"You look worse than Kili, and he's seen his spleen lately," Fili said dryly, his wounded arm in a sling, splinted leg propped up on a ratty pillow or two. Bilbo cut a wry smirk and ran his fingers through his adopted nephew's hair. Kili was still unconscious but resting comfortably next to Fili. The pair likely wouldn't have made it out of the battle alive were it not for the Elves and Bilbo knew that such knowledge chafed at Thorin.

"I happen to be the worrying type. Thorin is sedated. Thranduil is being absolutely no help, ranting on and on about how dismal this place looks. And on top of all that, this place reeks of dead Orc," Bilbo responded, neglecting to comment on his own broken arm and the recently stitched wounds left by Warg claws in his stomach. He did not know how they would have fared if he hadn't been able to keep Thorin from the Gold Sickness.

"Worrying doesn't do anyone a bit of good. You are a hero of this battle Bilbo. You have Uncle's heart, and are Consort Under the Mountain. You don't have to worry anymore," Fili whispered, his good arm slung around so that he could stroke Kili's face. There was a quiet admiration in Fili's eyes that Bilbo had begun to recognize in Thorin's and he wondered at the devotion of Dwarves. It was true that they loved only once. He could see that easily. What he didn't know was how they dealt with the loss of the one that they loved. What did the loss of a soul mate do to someone? He shuddered to think of it at all.

"There are some things to be worried about. Don't you doubt that my good Dwarf. I have to go back to the Shire still. Which Thorin has forbidden me to do alone," Bilbo smiled and leaned back against the headboard of the overlarge bed that they were all sharing. "I am going to be the talk of Hobbiton. The Sackville-Baggins will be chomping at the bit to have a go of Bag End. I need to tie up loose ends, there's apparently a nephew that needs looking after and I don't even know where to begin," Bilbo said, motioning to the stack of letters that Gandalf had brought him. He would never know when or how the Wizard had managed to get back to the Shire, and he wasn't about to ask. There wasn't a point really; he would just get some cryptic answer about Wizard business, a chuckle, and a twinkling of kind eyes.

"That is true. But you can't blame Uncle for being protective. He thought that he would lose you," Fili said, his eyes sad as he looked across to Thorin's sleeping form. The King Under the Mountain was bandaged in many places, and he would likely use a cane for the rest of his days, due to the bite a Warg had taken from his leg. Bilbo sighed and pushed Thorin's mop of hair away, looking down at the Dwarf that he loved and thanking all of the Gods that he was still alive.

"He very nearly did. If I hadn't had that ring…I would have been done for. And now it is bound for Mount Doom…strange how I wished that I had never let it go," Bilbo responded, smoothing his hand over the pocket that the ring had once rested in.

"That is what cursed rings do, my dear Hobbit," Gandalf's voice was tired and he was covered in blood as he entered the room. Bilbo knew that the Wizard had been lending his abilities to the Elven healers and that it had been a long day for all involved. How there had even been time for the truth of the ring to be divined and a plan put into action, he would never know. It was for the best though, if it truly was the ring that had belonged to the Necromancer called Sauron, then Bilbo wanted nothing to do with it in the least. He was glad to have handed it away.

"Gandalf," Bilbo acknowledged, not sure what he was supposed to say but feeling chastised all the same.

"Good to see that some of you are awake. Lord Elrond of Rivendell sends word that he will be most happy to have the King and Consort Under the Mountain as guests in his home, should you need to return to the Shire. He also informed me that a Ranger by the name of Strider will be accompanying your ring to its end," the Wizard said, his hand held flat as it hovered over Thorin's head.

"I thought you said that humans were susceptible to its grasp," Bilbo said, confused but relieved when Gandalf gave a satisfied nod at whatever reading he had gotten from Thorin. The Wizard was silent as he moved over to perform the same inspection on Kili. Again he seemed satisfied.

"This human is rather different I should think," Gandalf replied at last, sitting with a heavy sigh on a chest near the bed. He rested his staff against his shoulder and clasped his hands between his knees. If Bilbo were telling the truth, he would say that the Wizard looked bone weary, and very much older than he had ever seen. But he couldn't bring himself to think it, let alone say it, when Gandalf had done so much for them.

"As long as it is seen to, I don't care who handles the matter. I don't think that any of us have another battle in us just yet," Fili said, smiling brightly as Kili began to wake up. Thorin was stirring beside Bilbo as well and the Hobbit was suspicious that Gandalf had had something to do with the seeming coincidence. Not that he bothered to think on it for very long when Thorin was reaching out to him.

"You are well?" the Dwarf King asked, his hand cradling the side of Bilbo's face. It was perhaps the only thing that could have done it, but the Hobbit found himself crying uncontrollably and ignoring his own injuries to kiss Thorin properly. He didn't care what they had been through, what could have been, and what was, he only cared for the fact that Thorin was alive and loved him still.

"Yes my love, I am well. As well as can be expected anyway. How do you feel?" Bilbo asked once he had managed to stop peppering Thorin's face with gentle kisses and snuggling into the warmth of his larger body.

"I feel awful. But I will live. Did I not have you, I am not so sure that such would be the case," Thorin said and Bilbo tried to smile. He didn't want to think of Thorin being dead, and if keeping his lover alive meant keeping himself alive, then that was what he would do. The reunion of Fili and Kili beside them was going much the same way and Gandalf was watching quietly, a small smile playing across his face. Bilbo was forced to wonder if Wizards ever loved, if someone who had been around for as long as Gandalf had ever had a lover, and if so, could he even remember them? For his part, he knew that he would be unable to deal with such a loss for a decade, much less several millennia.

"I love you Thorin Oakenshield, and I will have no more of you fighting Orcs. Do you hear me," Bilbo said at last, when he felt that his heart would stop and his tears would go on endlessly. There was nothing for it, he was a Hobbit that had gone and fallen in love with a Dwarf, and that was just how things were going to have to stay.

"I love you as well, Bilbo Baggins. Try to rest, we must plan for our trip to the Shire when we are well," Thorin said, nudging Bilbo until he was lying down, tangled in Thorin's arms. The Dwarf King began to sing quietly in what Bilbo had begun to recognize as the special tone that only Dwarves were supposed to be able to hear. Gandalf would hear nothing of the song that Thorin used to lull Bilbo and their two nephews into a gentle slumber, but the Wizard didn't truly seem to mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interlude in Hobbiton

Chapter 3

The Shire looked different to him now, small and quaint, still something like home, but it wasn't what he wanted, not any more. He felt the stares of his neighbors and former friends as he rode into Hobbiton on his pony, his King and the two Princes following closely flanked by a cadre of Elven guardsmen. No one would ever accept Bilbo again, for he was no longer what a decent Hobbit considered to be the 'proper' sort.

He had stopped in to collect the young Frodo, a budding imp of a child at 8 years old. No one else in the family, Took or otherwise wished to take in a child with the same adventurous streak as Bilbo and they were thankful to see him go. At the moment he was settled atop Kili's pony, snuggled into the Dwarf's chest already fast asleep. Bilbo thought that he had heard the younger Prince singing softly to the youngling, but he couldn't be sure.

"I am curious about something," Thorin said, startling Bilbo from his thoughts and almost from his pony.

"What would that be?" he asked in return, recovering himself quickly enough that he didn't believe that his lover had noticed anything.

"Do all Hobbits possess the ability that you do? Can all of them hear our language?" Thorin questioned, his face drawn in thought. Bilbo smiled and reached out to link his hand with the Dwarf King's, a little pleasure that he would not allow anyone to deny him.

"I do not know, as Frodo seems to hear it just fine. Perhaps you could try speaking to my plundering cousins when we reach Bag End. If they cannot hear you then we shall have a bit more information," Bilbo offered, knowing that his young cousin could be as much an exception to the rule as he himself had been. They said that strangeness ran in their family, that there was some Fey in their blood. Perhaps it was true. Or perhaps it had been Dwarf blood that had shaped his family line. He could not be sure as the family tree only went back so far and anything untoward had been stricken from the records by more fastidious members of the family.

"These cousins, do you truly believe that they would take your things?" Thorin asked, appalled at the thought of kin stealing from kin but not voicing the depth of his disturbance.

"Oh most certainly, they attempted to have me declared dead so that they could take the property. Thankfully that didn't happen and my old gardener has been tending the place for me whilst I've been gone," Bilbo replied, feeling his heart swell as he came upon Bag End for what would likely be the last time in his life. It looked just as he had left it, untouched by the thieving hands of the Sackville-Baggins pair.

This was what he was giving up. This home that his father and mother had left to him was what he was leaving behind. But he knew that he couldn't be leaving it in better hands than with the old Gaffer that had tended the gardens so lovingly throughout the years. No one better deserved the place than the one that had loved it as much as Bilbo himself had.

He had already signed the deed over to the gardener and his young boy Samwise, they simply didn't know it yet. And they wouldn't, not until Bilbo and the rest of his entourage were well on their way back to the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo was always one to enjoy giving gifts, but he was awful at accepting the thanks for them and so had decided that this was the best way of giving such a gift. He wouldn't have to look at anyone as they thanked him. Perhaps he would receive a letter, and that he could handle.

Most of the things that he wished to bring along with him would leave with him today; the rest would follow with a Dwarf caravan that would be passing through in little more than a month. Many Dwarf clans were returning to the Lonely Mountain, swearing allegiance to Thorin once again and vowing that they would not seek to usurp power from the Dwarven King.

"You are lost in your thoughts again my dear heart, what is it that troubles you so?" Thorin asked, his eyes tracking his nephews as the young Hobbit was passed between them after waking up briefly and fussing about something. Fili was singing softly to the boy, a song of peace and comfort long used to soothe him and his brother when they were children. Something about the moment warmed Thorin's heart.

"It is nothing. I shall miss the place is all, I suppose. I wish that I could bring it with me, but alas I cannot. So I will take what I can and be much pleased to live with my King in our Lonely Mountain," Bilbo explained hoping that Thorin would not be upset by his honesty. He felt the Dwarven King's warm fingers tighten around his own and allowed himself to be tugged closer, the Elven ponies not even seeming to be bothered by the actions of their riders. Soon Thorin's lips claimed his own and all doubt was chased from his mind. Of course he was making the right decision.

There was nothing left from him in the Shire, he would be bringing with all that mattered. And even if he could not have that, at least he had his love. Limping still and stiff on colder mornings, but alive, and that was all that he could ask for.

"You shall be King as well, do not forget that Bilbo. You are my Bonded, my husband, and I will not see you sit in unequal status," Thorin affirmed for what felt like the umpteenth time on their journey. It did not matter to Bilbo that he was still considered to be the King's Consort, even after the official wedding and bonding ceremonies, but it mattered a good deal to Thorin.

"You do not hold me in unequal status and that is all that I desire, my love," Bilbo stated softly, firmly. He did not wish for Thorin to do battle with the Dwarven Council over his status. And yet he knew that his lover would stop at nothing to have what he desired.

"Perhaps that is enough for now. But I will see that Frodo is adopted properly. One day when he is grown and we are old, he will rule alongside Fili and Kili, I do not believe that they will have it any other way," Thorin said, his gaze returning to Fili and Frodo, the young Hobbit was playing with Fili's beard, seeming delighted by it and its newness. For his part Fili was absolutely beaming at the child.

"I wonder, will we be the ones to raise the boy or will they?" Bilbo joked, his eyes finding the scene that had so entranced the King.

"I think that it could be something more than that. I believe that Frodo could be the tie that binds them at last. It has always been the pair of them, but there has always been something missing. They could feel it between them, a hole, almost emptiness, they called it," Thorin said softly and Bilbo looked confused for a long moment as he chose his words.

"You cannot mean…he is only a child after all…"

"No, my love, he is no third side to an incomplete triangle. Dwarven men conceive less easily than Dwarven women. And I have long suspected that one or both of them may be barren, given injuries that they have suffered in the past. Frodo may well not be ours. Not truly. He seems bonded already with them, looking to them as if he were any other Dwarf child. We shall have our own one day, and if we do not, then we shall know that our nephews have things well in hand," Thorin assured and Bilbo found himself smiling. He supposed that he could stand to be an Uncle to the three of them, though he would have gladly raised Frodo as his own. He wondered after Thorin's comment though, could a Dwarf and a Hobbit have children together? Perhaps only time would tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I see Frodo more as Fili and Kili's child. So why don't you guys let me know if you liked this first off, and second if you would like to see Thorin and Bilbo have their own child(ren). Thanks for reading folks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set six months after chapter 3, a brief interlude to hold you over until the larger chapter 5 is finished.

The Sound of the Deep Ground

Part 4

Fili bounced the young Hobbit on one knee, his eyes tracking Kili's nervous pacing. The youngest of the pair was the more agitated of the two, that much was clear, but Bilbo was practically falling apart with worry. He had only ever been forced away from Thorin's side once before, and that was when the Elven healers had been tending him after battle. Now it was because his beloved King had fainted dead away right in the middle of dinner.

Their nephews had all been with them to witness it and thank the gods for that because Bilbo hadn't had the good sense to do anything but stare in horror for several long minutes. It was Fili that had summoned the healers and Kili that had distracted Frodo so that he did not become upset. The young Hobbit was perhaps too young to even understand what was going on with his Uncle, and everyone involved was thankful for that.

For his part, Bilbo was glad that the boy had chosen Fili and Kili as his parents. Strangely enough they were much more level headed than Bilbo himself when it came to childcare. Besides that, he wanted the little Hobbit to grow up in a family where he could be the sole focus of his parents. While Frodo was generally accepted among the Dwarves, it was good that he had two Dwarven parents to help him integrate into their society properly. His mind was still young, more capable of learning new things than Bilbo himself was. After only six months he could speak several phrases in the Dwarven language and had even managed to learn a few more in the secret language of the Dwarves. That much was something that Bilbo suspected he wouldn't pick up for decades.

Perhaps, however, it was alright that he would remain chiefly a Hobbit, as Frodo deserved to know about his old culture and people. He could learn about it alongside the babe steadily growing inside of Bilbo's belly. They had answered the question of Dwarf and Hobbit compatibility rather quickly, it was something that past generations had researched and the healers had assured them that there would be nothing to prevent them from conceiving. Well they had been right and Bilbo was six weeks along in his pregnancy, a small bump in his stomach already telling on his very un-Hobbit lean frame.

Thorin had shown nothing but joy at the news. He had then assured Fili and Kili that despite there now being a legitimate heir to the throne, they would still be next in line, lineage be damned. The brother's hadn't seemed to care all that much but had thanked their Uncle for the consideration. Bilbo suspected that if there was a way to gracefully bow out of being the Kings of Erebor that those two would take it in an instant. They were ready to be parents. But ruling a Kingdom would take their time away from parenting, even if they switched off days the way Bilbo and Thorin planned to once the baby was born. Of course there would be a period of considerable down time for Bilbo after the baby came as he had been informed that Dwarven and Hobbit or Dwobbit children had been notoriously difficult births. They were known to be tougher on the Dwarven parent, however, so Bilbo did his best not to worry and was simply thankful that he was the one that had gotten pregnant.

Waiting for news on Thorin was agony, and Bilbo found himself counting the stones that came together to form the floor to distract his mind. If only the healers would hurry up and tell him what was wrong with his husband. Sure nothing mundane could be cause for such a lengthy visit.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo is impatient and Thorin's condition is revealed.

The Sound of the Deep Ground

Part 5

Four hours. It had been four hours since the healers had been summoned to their rooms. Four hours since Thorin had been taken away to their bedroom to be seen to and Bilbo had been barred from seeing him at all. It had been four hours and the Hobbit was wearing a hole in the floor with worry. Fili and Kili had left and returned after putting Frodo down for a nap and still there was no news. That in itself was enough to make Bilbo's skin crawl with worry. Given the fact that he was pregnant the idea of being stressed beyond reason was probably not the best idea either.

At five hours Bilbo was just about ready to kick in the door and demand that he be allowed to see his husband. At five hours, Fili and Kili were very close to letting him. It was at five hours that the door opened and the healers emerged, their faces absolutely blank as they beckoned for the small group to enter the bedchamber.

The first thing that Bilbo saw was Thorin sitting up in the bed, alert and aware of his surroundings. The second thing he noticed was the deeply set frown that the Dwarf was wearing, at least until he caught sight of his husband. Upon seeing Bilbo he brightened immediately and beckoned to the smaller man to join him in the bed. If it bothered Thorin that the Hobbit checked with the healers first, he did not let it show, instead choosing to rain kisses upon his lover's face.

"Well what is it, tell me what's wrong," Bilbo demanded at last, no longer placated by the affections of his husband.

"My dear Bilbo, there is nothing wrong, nothing at all, in fact this is a great blessing!" one healer exclaimed brightly, earning a growl and a dark look from the Dwarven King.

"My husband has had cause to believe that I was in the gravest of danger for several hours now. Neither of you have given him the courtesy that would normally be extended to a spouse in such a matter. Do not think to address him so informally, he is your King as much as I am. Now if you please, tell my husband in plain words, what you have told me," Thorin said forcefully, the demeanor of his public façade emerging in the presence of the healers.

"Ah, yes, so very sorry for that, my King. But we had to be absolutely certain of our findings before we could present them to anyone, and as you had an audience…"

"Of the crown Princes, you mean." Bilbo interjected, suddenly feeling as though he had no patience at all. Thor gave his hand a tight squeeze and motioned to the healer to continue speaking.

"Anyway, news of this kind is typically very sensitive. But as the King has asked for plain words I will say it as simply as I can. There are to be two royal children instead of one, born at the same time no less," the man said and did an awkward bow, as if unsure of what he should do in such a situation.

"It is not unlikely that you two conceived within mere nights of one another. We cannot know for sure whether the children will follow Dwarven, Hobbit, or a blended gestation cycle, but we do presume that because they have the same parents, they will be born under the same moon," the female healer said, seeming much more confident and in control of herself. Bilbo instantly liked her better than the stodgy old doctor that had seen to him when it had first come to light that he himself was with child.

"What of the fainting episode," Bilbo enquired, looking to the woman, pointedly ignoring the man as he was actively glared at by both Fili and Kili.

"Simply a shock to his system as it adjusted to the space needed to grow the babe. It may well happen to you at some point in the future. Alas I believe that it is unavoidable with mixed blood children. The parent in question will never be quite capable of carrying the child and their body will be forced to adapt," she paused and produced a packet of herbs from her tunic. "Should the fainting spell come upon you burning these herbs will restore you to full awareness. You may wish to inform those around you of how to do so, should it occur," she said and handed the small bundle up to Bilbo.

He took them from her and set them aside almost in the same motion. His concern was more fully focused on Thorin in that moment than on his own health.

"So Thorin is to be a father as well as I?" he asked, bemused and finally processing the information that he had been given.

"Yes, my King. Both of you are with child, a most rare and wonderful thing for the people, should you decide to let them know of it in the near future. If not, then there shall be two royal births in close proximity to one another. That in itself will be cause for much rejoicing," she said, unintimidated by the stares of the young Princes. Sometime earlier the other healer had fled the room and left her alone to handle the entirety of the royal family that currently resided in the Keep under the Mountain.

"We will be the ones watching out for them from now on. Is there anything we need to know?" Kili asked at last, his eyes darting to Thorin, almost daring his Uncle to fight the idea. Thorin merely shrugged and continued to hold onto Bilbo's hand.

"Well, you may wish to keep a closer eye on the Hobbit…"

"Oi, none of that secret language stuff, I can hear you just fine so you may as well say it properly," Bilbo said once more feeling as though he were being ignored or talked around like he wasn't the second King in the room.

"S…Sorry my King. What I mean to say is that Hobbit kind has historically had more difficulties in the earlier stages of pregnancy, so I would be more worried about you than Thorin here, at least in the next few weeks. After that there have proven to be more Dwarven complications, so our focus will shift," she informed and performed the same awkward bow as the other healer had done.

"Alright, well if that is all then you are dismissed," Fili said firmly, before closing the door to the room behind her and turning to face Thorin and Bilbo.

"Really? Both of you? This is going to be intolerable," Kili exclaimed dramatically.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small interlude with little Frodo

The Sound of the Deep Ground

Part 6

Bilbo rolled to the side and groaned, it was the third time that he had been woken up that night by the need to use the water closet. The baby was growing quickly like a Dwarf child would and was already pressing on his bladder at just five months. The Elven healer that Lord Thranduil had sent to keep watch over the Kings of Erebor was convinced that Bilbo would be having a male child. Bilbo simply didn't have the heart to tell the misguided creature that Hobbit children were not designated male or female at birth, instead declaring their gender when they came of age.

That was something that Hobbits and Dwarves had in common it seemed. Thorin had rolled his eyes but nodded politely when told that he would be having a girl. The Dwarven healers were quite entertained by their Elven colleague, but grateful for his assistance when it came to matters of treating burns from the forge. It seemed that Elves could heal a burn from just about everything that wasn't dragon fire.

"Awake again Bilbo?" Thorin asked as Bilbo returned to bed, feeling relieved and yet knowing that he would be up again in another hour. Thorin was larger and his body far more adept at job of carrying a child and he had yet to experience the same effects as Bilbo.

"Yes, I'm sorry for waking you. You should try to sleep, we hold Court in the morning and Dain is joining us for breakfast. You do not want to be off your game when your cousin is around," Bilbo said and almost shuddered at the thought of the boisterous Dwarf from the Iron Hills. He always had a joke ready and Thorin, with his humor much restored since the reclamation of Erebor, was very prone to laughter. Something like that might be considered inappropriate if the wrong people were in attendance. While Bilbo did not expect that the wrong sort would be around for breakfast, the same could not be said if Dain chose to join them for Court.

"No I do not. He nearly made me choke on my drink the last time he visited. Ah, well, come here then, we shall sleep once more," Thorin replied, reaching out to lift the blanket and allow Bilbo to climb under it without hassle.

"Five more months is a very long time to wait for our little sprouts when they are already growing so large," Bilbo acknowledged and hefted himself into bed, rolling so that he was pressed as close to Thorin as he could be with both of their stomachs protruding enough to require new clothing.

"I believe that they are more Dwarven than Hobbit in that respect. The healers have said that you will adapt soon and that I will be the one suffering after that. I do not believe that I am ready for the things that you have dealt with," Thorin admitted and slung an arm around Bilbo's body, drawing him into an embrace.

"Yours will be different I'm sure. Hopefully something more tolerable, I know that the lack of sleep has made me irritable of late," Bilbo responded and snuggled into the embrace, his lips drawing into a smile at the comfort it brought him.

No matter the problems that he was having a hug from Thorin was like a curative. There were no words that could accurately describe how much he appreciated the way the Dwarf was able to make him feel. But then he still was not used to the concept of soul mates. According to Thorin that was how all wedded and bonded Dwarven couples could make one another feel. The love that they shared was like a balm to any discomfort or illness, and though it was not always enough to fully heal their beloved, they certainly provided comfort. It was Bilbo's love that had saved Thorin from the gold sickness, Bilbo's love that had kept him alive long enough for the Elves to help heal him. Had Fili and Kili not been in such close proximity to one another when they were struck down they might have perished in the battle.

All of them owed a great debt to the Elves and the healers from the Iron Hills, one that had been paid partially in gems and gold. The rest of the compensation for their aid was in a promise to come to the defense of anyone that had stood at their side against the Orcs. Of course, there were no expectations that anyone would be having a war any time soon, not with the toll that the last one had taken.

"Uncle Bilbo? Uncle Thorin?" came Frodo's voice from the doorway. He was an unusual child in that he had already decided what he would be when he grew up, but Bilbo suspected that that was partially to do with the Took blood as he too had decided far earlier than was normal that he was indeed male. But he was also unusual in the sense that he could speak the secret Dwarven language, though it sounded just a little strange coming from a Hobbit child.

"Yes Frodo? Where are your Fathers?" Bilbo asked and sat up to light the lantern on the table beside the bed. He then patted the bed to invite the boy up.

"They're asleep. I could hear that you were awake so I came here instead," the young boy explained quietly, crossing the room and hopping into the bed, narrowly missing Thorin's legs as he did so.

"Bad dreams again youngling?" Thorin asked as he too sat up and reached out to pick the boy up. Bilbo had expected the boy to be quite a bit older when he was told that there was a nephew that needed him, but he didn't mind Frodo's age, or his quirks.

"About the same thing again?" Bilbo asked after a quick nod from the little one.

"It was the ring again. This time I had it, and Samwise was with me. We were going to throw it into the mountain," Frodo explained quietly as Thorin stroked his hair. Bilbo shuddered at the mention of his old ring. How dearly he wished that he had never told the lad the story of his ring. Even now that it was well and truly destroyed, its memory haunted them.

"Well don't you worry. The ring is gone and Samwise is just as safe as you are. Now do you want to sleep here or should we take you to your Fathers?" Bilbo said softly, giving the child a gentle smile. Frodo grinned at him and indicated that he would stay with them by rolling himself into their blankets.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sharing of Dwarven and Hobbit traditions.

(A/N: I know that I have been busy with my soul mates fic, but I haven't forgotten about this one. Still warnings for mpreg, Fili/Kili, and general fluffy stuff. I don't own anything to do with the Hobbit and I never will so please no one come after me. Anyway, without further ado, here's the fic.)

The Sound of the Deep Ground

Part 7

The healers had been right. Thorin was having an exceedingly tough time of being pregnant now at 7 months. He could no longer attend Court sessions, and with Bilbo similarly out of commission it fell to Fili to step up and take on the responsibility. Things had gotten a little easier for Bilbo, but he was still very uncomfortable most of the time as the babe grew larger and larger with every passing day. Both of them had already been informed that Bilbo would not be able to have a natural birth due to his small size and the size of the child growing inside of him. They would have need of Elven healers for the procedure.

Thorin however pleased he was to be having two heirs was ready to go into the deep mountain where the springs bubbled up and were warmed by the earth and birth his own child. He had been having excessive dizziness, extreme mood swings, and was eating more than a Hobbit. It was all part of the process, he understood that, but that did not mean that he was happy about it. Nor was he happy with the way that Bilbo had to feel.

"I think, my love, that this shall be the only child I have," Thorin said to Bilbo with a sigh. He was relaxing on their bed, a book propped open on the generous swell of his stomach. Bilbo glanced over at him from the writing desk where he sat working on the story of their adventure.

"I may be inclined to agree with you," Bilbo admitted, setting his quill aside and gently settling a sheet of blotting paper over his most recent page. The story would have had a vastly different ending were it not for Bilbo and Thorin bonding as they had. Quite frankly Bilbo didn't know how many of them would be alive if he hadn't been able to save Thorin from the gold sickness. He also didn't know what might have happened had he not confessed the presence of the ring and allowed it to be confiscated and summarily destroyed. And destroyed it had been, leaving the world a much brighter, safer, and happier place.

The story of the ring, however, was something that Bilbo wished to write. He hoped that the Ranger formerly known as Strider would deign to tell it to him one day so that he might record it to its end. After all, it had been his ring for a time, and he should dearly love to know how the thing had actually been destroyed.

"Two heirs will be more than enough for the people. There is typically a far greater span of time between children as well. To have them so close together, ah Erebor will be in an uproar once they arrive," Thorin said, remembering the celebrating that had occurred away from the mountain when Fili and then Kili were born. Then they hadn't had much cause to be happy and children had been the only real hope that they could cling to. But now, they were in their rightful home once again and the celebration would likely be over the top.

"You will have to tell me how Dwarven kind celebrates births. Children are a rather common occurrence in the Shire and are met with small, useful gifts, more a formality than anything," Bilbo explained, removing the blotting paper once he was satisfied with the dryness of the ink beneath it. The book he was writing in was quite the large one, gifted to him by Ori when he learned that Bilbo wished to chronicle their story for future generations. Of course, Bilbo was writing it in the common tongue, he would leave it to Dwarven scholars to translate it if they so wished.

"Dwarves give gifts as well, clothes, blankets, toys, swaddling, and the like. But there is almost always celebratory drinking and partying among the close family. Given that these are to be royal births, the entire mountain will join us in celebrating. You and I will spend the first three or so weeks of our children's lives recovering and bonding with the infants, Fili and Kili will simply have to try to control the Court until we are able to return. They are doing an admirable job thus far and raising little Frodo just as brilliantly," Thorin stated, turning the page in his book.

The subject matter was not sticking well with him, and he hoped that his sister Dis would be forgiving if he didn't quite grasp all of it. Surely she would quiz him to see if he had retained it and thus was fit to raise the children. But Bilbo had already passed her test and Thorin was determined to do the same. He wanted nothing more than to be a good father to his children.

"Ah, I see. Yes, it is usually a far more subdued affair for Hobbits. I am not looking forward to being cut open, I must admit. But Hobbit children are very tiny, and this one simply isn't. It makes me wonder whether they will be a blend of the two of us or if they will take after you entirely," Bilbo mused, picking up the quill and penning another line in his neat flowing script.

"The Elves seem to insist that they will be a blend of both of us. But then they also insist on giving them a gender far sooner than is reasonable. I understand it is customary for Elves to have a given gender at birth and shift it as they see fit, but that is not how I wish it to be done," Thorin said with a bit of discomfort in his tone.

"I have gotten my Elven attendant to refer to the child as they or them, it's only proper after all. Perhaps she will tell yours to do the same," Bilbo said, still seeming to be more caught up in thoughts of his story than in worrying about the strange mannerisms of Elves. Thorin decided to leave him to it and flipped back to the beginning of the chapter he had been reading and made a concerted effort to actually learn the content.

(A/N: I hope to get this story finished soon. Again I am sorry for the short chapters, but I only have these short scenes and snippets of life planned out in my mind at the moment. I hope that it was enough to tide you all over for a little while, and thanks for reading.)


End file.
